From the heart

March 18, 2006

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Young Son Cho, 51, of Fullerton sings the Korean national anthem during opening ceremonies before Korea's 2-1 win over Japan in Anaheim. Cho is a former Korean professional catcher. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Young Son Cho and his wife Yong Ae applaud Korea during its Anaheim tournament game. Cho is an alumni of pitcher Chan Ho Park's alma mater, Han Yang University. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Jongwon Kim, 27, of Fullerton joins friends from Hope International University cheering on the Korean team in Anaheim. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Young Son Cho hasn't missed a Korean game during the World Baseball Classic. The 50-year-old Fullerton resident is a former catcher with Korea's Lotte Giants. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Korean fans show their support in a unified way in Anaheim. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Hye Jin Mok, 22, from Arcadia beats her drum to cheer on the Korean team in the World Baseball Classic. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Young Son Cho, 51, of Fullerton sings the Korean national anthem during opening ceremonies before Korea's 2-1 win over Japan in Anaheim. Cho is a former Korean professional catcher. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The game

Korea and Japan face off at 7 tonight in the semifinals at PETCO Park in San Diego.

ANAHEIM - As the Korean baseball players streamed onto the field, a man rose slowly from his third-tier seat to catch a glimpse.

Thousands of fans roared and waved flags as the country's national anthem echoed through the arena.

Amidst the din, Young Son Cho, a 51-year-old contractor from Fullerton, put his hand on his chest and mouthed the words to the song.

"My heart warmed," he said in Korean. "It always happens as an athlete. It's the same now. Tears came to my eyes."

It was an emotion, he said, every ball player understands.

Nearly 30 years ago, Cho experienced the same national pride as the catcher for the Lotte Giants, one of the first franchised teams in the Korean professional league.

Memories flooded back Wednesday while watching his former teammate coach the Korean team against Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

For a night he was back on the field, swiping the brim of his cap with his hand as a signal to his girlfriend. Chewing wads of gum to promote the Lotte brand. Enjoying the celebrity status as a young baseball player.

And when Korea beat Japan 2-1, Cho's euphoria was shared by thousands of fans who pounded on drums, banged together their blue and white Thunderstix and even cheered when a Korean player hit a foul ball.

THE FANS

The Korean baseball team, with six consecutive wins in the tournament, will move on to play in the semifinals at Petco Park tonight. Against Japan.

And faithful fans will follow.

The change of venue isn't preventing Korean fans, some of whom do not even follow the sport, from traveling to downtown San Diego.

"It's the greatest baseball game I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot of them," said Steve Kwon, 31, who lives in Los Angeles and plans to attend the game.

This week, frenzied fans gobbled up tickets, flags, jerseys, hats and Thunderstix to support the Korean team. Tournament news dominated the headlines in Korean newspapers and stations. Even salons in Los Angeles' Koreatown offered to paint temporary tattoos on fans.

Local Korean civic groups bought $20,000 worth of tickets for the three Korea games, buying out whole sections between home and third base. They resold the tickets to Korean fans.

"It's been a collective effort of a lot of people," said Richard Choi Bertsch of the Korean American Coalition. "The result was resounding. I think it freaked out a lot of people."

Baseball fan Garrett Bucklad, 27, of Glendora attended all of the classic games at Angel Stadium and was struck by the Korean enthusiasm.

"They're coming out and rooting for their team," he said. "I was taken aback by the Korean turnout. I'm not used to seeing that."

But vying for a ticket for tonight's sold-out game may be more difficult, unlike those who easily bought tickets at Angel Stadium on Wednesday. Bertsch said some of his ticketless friends are not taking the chance and will follow the games locally.

DEEP-SEATED RIVALRY

Irvine councilman Sukhee Kang said the tournament is an opportunity to teach second- and third-generation Koreans about their heritage.

"I saw so many people of younger generations," he said. "Watching and cheering for their team certainly brings up their own identity issues in a positive way."

For older generations, the games represent a deep-seated rivalry between Korea and Japan that stems from history and tradition.

At Wednesday's game, hundreds of fans crowded outside the stadium around a group that made a political statement.

They protested Japan's territorial claim last year over Dokdo, a cluster of South Korean islets.

The issue is not new for older Korean residents.

In April, 400 members of the Korean Senior Citizens Association gathered in Garden Grove's Korean district, waving South Korean flags as the organization's leaders urged Koreans to fight Japan's claims.

The Korean seniors, most of whom were alive during Japan's 35-year colonization of the Korean Peninsula, said the country's spirit would wane if Koreans do not protest.

Those politics make both sides more determined to win on the playing field.

"The Japanese and Koreans know each other very well," Bertsch said. "It's going to be breathtaking."

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